A Brutal Winter Storm Is About to Pound the East Coast

With record lows ringing in the new year, 2018 continues to bring bitter cold to vast swaths of the country. Now, a brutal winter storm is gearing up to invade the entire East Coast, with potential whiteouts and hurricane-force gusts blasting parts of New England.

The intense low-pressure system will move through the South starting Tuesday night, freezing northern Florida and the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. In fact, the National Weather Service office in Jacksonville, Florida, just issued its first winter storm watch in almost four years, Weather.com reports. The area should see a mix of snow and freezing rain — potentially causing travel turmoil as bridges and overpasses ice over.

The mid-Atlantic region is up next, with snow and blustery winds forecast for Wednesday and Thursday. The areas closest to the coast will see the most accumulation as forecasters watch how much moisture the storm soaks up, according to AccuWeather.

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New England will get the worst of it on Thursday and Friday. Meteorologists predict the storm will undergo what's called bombogenesis, or a sudden drop in atmospheric pressure that causes rapid strengthening. Boston could get over six inches of snow, with powerful winds snarling air traffic there as well as New York, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. The intensity of the storm could potentially cause sporadic power outages too, so get the generator ready.

Accuweather is also predicting a blizzard for Maine and New Brunswick, Canada, with winds topping 35 miles per hour and gusts reaching 70. A thick snowfall — potentially up to 24 inches — will limit visibility and potential whiteouts may make travel nearly impossible.

As if that wasn't bad enough, another invasion of bitter Arctic air is sweeping across the country on Friday and Saturday. ABC News reports that wind chills could reach minus 30 across the Midwest and Northeast, with minus 50 potentially in the cards for northern New York. Let's just say you won't need an excuse to stay inside this weekend.

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